Increase parents information on provision and contribution to target setting for SEND pupils

Background and context

A school set out to ensure parents were better informed of their child’s provision and aware of next steps for their children. They wanted them to be able to contribute to target setting in a more effective way.

What did they do

• They delivered training to SEN staff and teachers on assessment profiles and baselined all EHCP children with teaching staff. Their assessment week was published for teachers to track termly and share data with senior leadership team.
• They worked with teaching staff to break down EHCP targets into SMART targets half termly to record against and discuss with parents under 4 areas of learning.
• They also re-structured parent evenings to focus on target setting and ask parents to contribute to target setting.
• Profiles and next steps were shared half termly with parents via teacher to parent email system along with provision maps for all SEN children (termly) with intended outcomes to staff working with children.
• They started using their assessment software to engage parents – adding parent/guardians to receive emails notifications on their child’s progress and attainment. Staff were given appraisal targets to record against attainment and start to develop skills to set targets.

What was the impact? What changed?

• Most parents have engaged well with information sharing and have contributed alongside teacher.
• Parents have a better insight to their child’s day and were able to show their children achieving targets through photo notifications which linked to assessment profiles and next steps.
• Engagement at parent’s evenings improved with a more focused conversation on next steps as the parents had a better idea of what their children were doing during the school day so the discussion was more functional than previous years where they would spend a lot of time looking at work books or discussing achievements.

As a result, parents feel more valued and a part of target setting. They are using the Evisense software and ‘liking’ photos which has improved parent awareness of attainment. This has reduced requirements to write in contact book which has reduced workload for staff at the end of the day.

Parents responses in the end of year demonstrate how effective this new approach has been:

• I receive regular positive messages about my child 86% (up from 47%)
• I receive regular updates on my child’s learning and targets through photographs, parent’s evenings, target setting and meetings with staff 86% (up from 53%)
• I am able to engage in regular conversations about my child’s targets and progress was 84% (up from 59%)
• The school or nursery actively involve me and value my contribution in relation to my child’s needs 84% (up from 59%)